Conductor support



June 22 192s.

1,539,609 M. W. MANZ CONDUCTOR SUPPORT Filed Dec. 1924 Patented June 22, 1926 UNITED STATES MERRILL PATENT I OFFICE.

CONDUCTOR SUPPORT.

Application filed December 6, 1924. Serial No. 754,354.

My invention relates to supporting devices for trolley conductors and is particularly adapted to supporting a conductor which is suspended from a catenary or mes sengcr cable although it may be used for suspending the trolley wire from a bracket arm or vertical pole support as is common practice at the present day in the construction of trolley lines.

My invention is particularly adaptable where the trolley wire is suspended below and to one side of the point of support as is the case when the trolley wire takes a curve. Under such conditions, where the trolley wire is suspended from a messenger or catenary cable, the tendency for the catenary cable is to rest in a straight vertical plane between the points of its support, and the natural tendency for the trolley wire is to also assume a straight line between its supports, and if these supports are spaced far apart, as in ordinary construction, the trolley wire will not follow the curvature of the track sufliciently to give the best operation of the current collector with respect to the trolley wire. If, however, the trolley wire is supported from the messenger cable at frequent intervals around a curve then by making the supportingdevices between the messenger cable and the trolley wire of proper length the trolley wire will follow the curve of the tracks very closely, and by properly positioning the messenger cable the trolley wire may be located quite accurately above the center of the track. i

The object of my invention is to support the trolley wire from a messenger cable so that the trolley wire may be caused to assume a path and curvature corresponding with the center line and curvature of the track respectively.

The location 01 the trolley wire relative to the messenger cable when supported by a device of the character 01 my invention will depend upon the horizontal and vertical stresses in the trolley wire, and as the trolley Wire is gripped between two jaw membersand it is desirous that these jaw members shall assume a vertical position, I provide means for adjusting my invention in such a manner that the said jaws may be brought to a vertical position when the trolley wire is in its normal position.

My invention resides in the new and novel construction, combination and relation of the various parts hereinafterfully described and. disclosed in the drawing accompanying this specification. v

In the drawing: l i 1 Fig. 1 is a side viewlof my invention and shown as supporting a trolley wire from a messengercable. Fig. 2 is an end view of Fig. 1. I Fig. 3 isa top view ofthe clampportion only.

4: is a view in partialsection on the line 4- 1 of Fig. 3.

1n the, preferred constructionembodying my invention I employ two clamping members 1 and 2 and each provided with lips 3 at their lower edge to engage and grip, a trolley wire 4 and each provided with a semi-circular groove 5 to receive the T shaped connecting member 6. Theclamping members 1 and 2 are heldin clamping relation with the trolley wire at and the con necting member 6 by means of the bolt. and nut 7 positioned in a transverse orifice in the members 1 and 2. The semi-circular grooves 5 are formed bythe hook shaped member 8 on the clamping member 2 and bythe hook shaped'members 9 onthe member 1 and which are spaced apart vto permit the socket member 10 OfJthe T-shaped connecting member 6 to pivot therebetween. The connecting member 6 is provided with a ,pintle portion 11 adapted to be received betweenthe hook members 8 and 9 within the grooves 5.

When the bolt and nut 7 is drawn up tight the clamping members 1 and 2 will grip not only the trolley wire 1, but the pintle member 11, very securely, but this will not be suflicient to prevent under all circumstances a relative pivotal movement of the connecting member 6 relative to the clamping members 1 and 2, therefore, I pro vide a set screw 12 in the member 2 so ar ranged as to grip the pintle portion 11 of the connecting member 6 and thereby securing the clamping members and the connecting member in fixed relation. This conw. MANZ, or MANsrinLn, OHIO, nssreivon To THE OHIO BRASS COM- PANY, or MANSFIELD, or-rro, A conrormrron or NEW JERSEY.

struction permits adjustment or readjustment of the clamping members and connecting member at any time desired. Projecting from the socket portion 10 of the connecting member 6 is a supporting member 18, shown as a rod, provided with an eye. member 14 at one end adapted to engage with a messei'iger cable The eye portion 14 may originally be constructed open, as shown by the dotted lines, and which may be easily closed, as shown by the full lines, by means of a; hammer when the rod 13 has been installed upon the messenger cable 15. The lower end of the rod 13 may be threaded and the socket member 10 threaded internally, and the rod and socket member secured together by said threaded construction, or the connecting member 6 may be forged up out of the end of the rod 11 thereby forming a jointless or one-piece construction.

In the use of my invention the messenger cable '15 is suspended as usual by its supports above the track and properly located with respect to the same, all as is well known to those skilled in the art. The trolley conductoris then strung into place and my in yention a plied to the messenger cable and trolley wire as shown. After the trolley wire has assumed its normal position, if the clamping members 1 and 2 do not assume a vertical position, then adjustment of the parts may be made by means of the set screw 12.: It is understood, of course, that the length of the rods 13 must vary in order to bring the trolley wire into proper alinement and so that it will form the curve desired. The end of the eye member 14 may be formed into a closed loop at any time desired after the rod 13 is installed upon the messenger cable.

Upon what is known as tangent or straight line construction the trolley Wire will assume a position substantially directly below the messenger cable, and under such construction there is normally very little, if any, horizontal strain upon the trolley wire, tending to move it sideways. Under such a construction my invention is also applicable, as in that case, the rod 13 would be adjusted to assumea vertical position so that the vertical p ane of the clamping members land 2 andt iat of the supporting rod 1;, would coincide.

Modifications, 01 course, will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art as to the disclosure herein made, but I do not wish to be limited other than by my claims.

1. The combination of clamping means to engage and grip a trolley Wire, it connecting member having means at one end to connect to a support, means to secure the connecting member to the clamping means in adjustable pivotal relation and means on the clamping means and movable at right angles to the axis of the pivot, to engage with the connecting member to hold the connecting member and the clamping means in adjusted relation.

2. The combination of clamping means to engage and grip a trolley wire, a connecting member having means at one end to connect to a support and means to secure the connecting member to the clamping means in pivotal relation thereto in a plane at right angles to the axis or the trolley wire and without disturbing the relaton of the clamp ing means to the trolley wire.

3. An overhead s stem comprising a catenar cable, a com: uctor positioned below and to one side of the cable, clamping means to engage and grip the conductor, a connetting member having one end secured to the cable and means to pivotally secure the other end to the clamping member and permit the adjustment of the connecting memher without disturbing the clamping means and means to hold the connecting member and the clamping means in adjusted relation.

4. The combination of clamping means to engage and grip a plurality of conductors, a connecting member having means at one end to connect to a support, and means to pivotally connect the connecting member to one of the conductors and permit pivotal action without interfering with the relation of the clamping means to the conductors.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

MERRILL WV. MANZ. 

